After helping deliver a newborn child, medical professionals may have a duty to monitor the child’s well-being and address any concerns that arise. Should doctors in North Carolina fail to diagnose and treat health risks, the child could suffer serious or even permanent harm in the process. A family in another state was recently awarded a judgment of $19 million after filing a medical malpractice lawsuit claiming that medical staff members failed to diagnose and treat an infection that left their newborn child with permanent brain damage.
The lawsuit
According to reports, the incident began just eight days after the child was born while he was still in the hospital. The family claims that their newborn child suddenly became ill and states that staff members at the hospital believed that he was suffering from digestive issues. However, his condition continued to deteriorate and he was airlifted to another facility for treatment, where he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.
The lawsuit asserts that staff members at the first facility failed to properly monitor his health and failed to diagnose and treat a severe infection. The family states that diagnostic errors and delays in care caused the child to suffer permanent brain damage. The family filed a lawsuit against the facility and reports indicate that a jury recently awarded them a substantial monetary judgment during legal proceedings.
Permanent injury
Failure to diagnose is a type of medical negligence that could carry devastating repercussions and no child should have to suffer permanent harm due to such issues. Families in North Carolina who are subjected to such negligence might choose to retain the services of an experienced attorney for advice in exploring all their available legal avenues. While there may be no way to change what took place, a successful legal claim could help bring much-deserved restitution and help protect the future interests of the child and family.